CP, November 2016, Vol 8, No 11

Role of coronary drug-eluting stents in current clinical practice

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has continued to evolve, from its origins in balloon angioplasty and bare metal stent (BMS) implantation, to the development and application of contemporary drug-eluting stents (DESs). While first generation DESs significantly decreased risk of in-stent reste…

How to identify causes of a subtherapeutic INR

Pharmacists and healthcare professionals are often involved in the management of patients with subtherapeutic international normalised ratios (INRs), the cause of which is important to identify because this will affect decisions and the subsequent management of the patient.…

Low vitamin D levels linked to depression and cognitive deficits in psychotic disorders

Study shows a link between vitamin D and depression, while vitamin D deficiency was linked to impairments in processing speed and verbal fluency.…

Assessing the safety of hormonal replacement therapy

Since the dawn of hormonal replacement therapy — now known as menopausal hormone therapy — there have been conflicting reports about its risks and safety. A thorough examination of the evidence suggests it can be used safely in menopausal women.…

E-referrals to community pharmacy might reduce hospital readmissions

Researchers say electronic referral systems that allow communication with community pharmacists could improve the coordination of care when patients are discharged from hospital.…

Inconclusive result from Ebola ZMapp trial

While study results show that patients taking new Ebola treatment ZMapp had a 40% reduced risk of death, authors say results did not meet statistical threshold for efficacy.…

PCSK9 inhibitors help patients reach cholesterol targets, review finds

Systematic review of data from more than 10,000 patients shows how anti-PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies can help patients achieve LDL-C targets as monotherapy or with statins.…

Scientists create universal microbial screening method

Researchers develop platform for non-targeted microbial screening using DNA probes that could identify unknown strains of human bacterial infection.…

Pharmacist-led atrial fibrillation reviews reduce stroke risk for patients

A review scheme led by a team of pharmacists prevented an estimated 886 strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation.…

Tamoxifen effectiveness not impaired by SSRIs

Researchers found no difference in mortality rates in women taking tamoxifen with paroxetine or fluoxetine compared with patients taking tamoxifen with other SSRIs.…